Inserting a vertical line in Google Docs is a simple but effective way to add style to your document. It can help you emphasize important points or create a neat layout. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process step by step. Let’s get started with inserting that vertical line! Google Docs is a free online document editor provided by Google. Google Docs is used for creating, and editing documents. As a document editor, it has extensive features available free of cost such as image insertion, table insertion, and formatting text in the document by changing its font size, font color, alignment, and more. Also, Google Docs have many features to add external add-ons, symbols, shapes, drawings, word art, border of documents, headers, and footers. It also allows us to download the document and share the document with others for viewing and editing purposes.
What is the Vertical Line in Google Docs
A vertical line in a document separates the document into columns or creates a visual distinction for easy reading. Vertical lines are used in newsletters, reports, resumes, theories explaining differences between anything, and more.
In this article, we will discuss how to create a vertical line in Google Docs in different ways.
How to Add a Vertical Line in Google Docs
There are many ways to create vertical lines in Google Docs. They are,
- Using Drawing Tool,
- By Dividing text Columns,
- Using Table Border
- Using keyboard shortcut.
How to Insert a Vertical Line in Google Docs using Drawing Tool
Step 1: Open Google Docs and open the document
Open Google Docs and open the document to which a vertical line has to be inserted.
Document opened
Step 2: Go to Insert Select Drawing and Click on New
In the menu bar, select ‘Insert Tab’. A dropdown appears as you select it, from the drop-down select ‘Drawing’. Another sub dropdown appears having options. Select ‘New’ in it.
Select Insert -> Drawing -> New
Step 3: Click on the line icon from the toolbar of the drawing dialog box
A drawing dialog box appears as you click on New. Click on the line icon from the drawing box toolbar.
Click the Line icon from the toolbar
Step 4: Draw a Vertical Straight Line
Draw a vertical straight line in the drawing canvas using the line icon as shown below. Now a vertical line is drawn.
Vertical line drawn
Step 5: Customize your Line as per your Choice
Select the Line and Set a Line Color by Clicking the ‘Line Color’ icon in the Toolbar
Click the Line colour icon
Select the line colour from the displayed colour box. As you select the colour of your choice, the line colour gets changed into that colour.
choose line colour
Select the line width icon from the toolbar of the drawing dialog box.
Click the line width icon
Select the line width from the dropdown. Here we are choosing 3px.
Select line width from the dropdown
Now the width of the line is changed.
Line width changed
Select the ‘line dash’ icon from the toolbar of the drawing dialog box. Select the line dash of your choice. Here we are choosing the default solid line dash.
select Line dash type
Step 6: Click the ‘Save and Close’ button
After line settings are done, click the ‘Save and close’ button at the top rightmost corner of the drawing dialog box.
click the ‘Save and close’ button
Step 7: Preview the Added Vertical line in Google Docs
Now the vertical line is added to the document in Google Docs.
Line created and inserted to document in Google Docs
How to Insert Vertical Lines as Text Column Divisions in Google Docs
Using Columns, we can insert vertical lines in Google Docs by splitting some lines of text or paragraphs into 2 or more columns and placing the vertical line between them as a separator to distinguish between the columns.
Step 1: Open Google Docs and Open the Document
Open Google Docs and open the document to which a vertical line has to be inserted.
Document opened in Google Docs
Step 2: Highlight the text to be Split into Columns of Text
Select and highlight the text to be split into any number of columns of text in the document.
Highlight the text in the document to split it into columns
Step 3: Go to the Format and Select Columns and Click on More options
Go to the ‘Format tab’ in the menu bar, and select ‘Columns’ in the dropdown that opens. Now another sub dropdown opens, select ‘More options’ from it.
Select Format->Columns->More options
Step 4: Select the Number of Columns, Tick the Checkbox and Click Apply at the Bottom of the Dialog Box
As you click on more options a dialog box is displayed. In the number of columns option, set the number of columns you want to split the highlighted text by selecting the dropdown. We can choose from three options in the dropdown 1 or 2 or 3.
Tick the checkbox to insert a line between columns, then click the Apply button
Step 5: A Vertical Line is Displayed between Text Split as Columns
Now the highlighted text is changed to columns, and a vertical line is displayed between the columns.
Highlighted text changed to columns and a line is added between columns in Google Docs
Step 8: Preview the Added Vertical Line
Vertical line inserted in Google Docs
How to Add Vertical Lines in Google Docs using Tables
Step 1: Open Google Docs and Open the Document
Open Google Docs and Open the document to which a vertical line has to be inserted.
Document opened
Step 2: Go to Insert and Select Table
In the menu bar, select ‘Insert’, a dropdown is displayed. Select ‘Table’ among the options given in the dropdown. Another sub dropdown opens. Then choose the number of columns for the table.
Select ‘Insert’ tab -> Table
Step 3: Select the number of rows and columns for the table to insert
Select the number of rows and columns to insert in Google Docs as a table. Here we are choosing a 1×2 table, which means 1 row and 2 columns.
Choosing 1 row and 2 columns table to insert
Step 4: Table is inserted to document
Now a table is inserted into the document.
Table inserted
Step 5: Select all Borders of the Table to Disappear by Pressing ‘Ctrl’ key on the Keyboard
Select all the borders of the table which you want to disappear by holding and pressing the ‘Ctrl’ key on the keyboard.
Borders selected in the table disappear
Step 6: Click Border Width and Set the border Width of the Table as 0 pt.
By default, the border width is set as 1pt. In the dropdown opened, select ‘0 pt’ to change the border width to 0.
select 0pt in the dropdown
Step 7: Selected borders disappear
Now the selected borders have disappeared because the border width is set to 0pt.
Border width changed to 0 pt
Step 8: Vertical Lines Inserted in the Document
Vertical lines inserted
How to Insert Vertical Lines in Google Docs using Keyboard Shortcut
Step 1: Open the Document and Place the Cursor
Open Google Docs open the document in which the vertical line is to be inserted and place the cursor in the place where you want to insert the vertical line.
Cursor placed in document
Step 2: Press ‘Shift + |’ on the Keyboard
Press the ‘Shift’ key and vertical bar ‘|’ key on your keyboard as a shortcut to insert a vertical line in Google Docs.
Vertical Line Inserted
Step 4: Customize the Vertical Line’s Height and Width by Increasing the Font Size
We can customize the height and width of this vertical line by selecting it and changing the font size from the toolbar of Google Docs. Here we are setting the font size as 72.
Customizing the height of vertical line by selecting and changing font size
Step 5: Preview Vertical Line
Vertical line inserted and customised
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed how to create a vertical line using the Drawing tool in Google Docs. The line properties such as colour, width, and dash can be customized by double-clicking the inserted line in the document in Google Docs. Also, we have discussed the different ways to insert vertical lines in Google Docs using Columns, tables and keyboard shortcuts.
FAQs
How to Insert a Vertical or Horizontal Line in Google Docs?
Open your Google Docs document.
Place your cursor where you want to insert the line.
Go to the “Insert” menu at the top of the page.
From the dropdown menu, hover over “Drawing” and select “+ New.”
In the drawing window that appears, click on the line icon (either the vertical or horizontal line, depending on your preference).
Draw the line by clicking and dragging your mouse.
Customize the line’s thickness, color, and style using the options in the toolbar at the top.
Once you’re satisfied with the line, click “Save and Close.”
Is it possible to insert a vertical line directly as inserting horizontal line in Google Docs?
No, there is no direct feature to create and insert vertical line in Google Docs. There is a direct feature available in Google Docs to horizontal line. But to create a vertical line in Google Docs, there are many other indirect ways using drawing and tables.
Is it possible to insert a vertical line in Google Docs?
Yes, we can create and insert a vertical line in Google Docs.
Can a document insert only one vertical line in Google Docs?
No, we can insert one or more vertical lines in a document in Google Docs.
How do I get rid of vertical lines in Google Docs?
To delete vertical line, just highlight the line and then press delete option on your keyboard.